The increasing scarcity, and the realization of the ecological and safety problems associated with non-renewable energy reserves such as coal petroleum and uranium, have made it essential that increased use be made of alternate non-depletable energy resources such as photovoltaic energy. Photovoltaic energy use has been limited in the past to special application due in part to the high cost of manufacturing devices capable of producing significant amounts of photovoltaic energy. The development of a continuous process that continuously deposits successive layers of amorphous semiconductor alloy material on an elongated substrate to fabricate photovoltaic devices in mass production has greatly promoted the use of photovoltaic energy.
One particular application in which photovoltaic devices have been found practical is in marine environments such as on piers and on non-motorized boats such as sailboats. In a typical marine application, a photovoltaic solar panel is utilized to recharge a battery on board the non-motorized boat. While the solar panel itself is typically manufactured with a plastic cover that makes the solar panel water and weather resistant, the junction between the electric cable for connection to the battery and the solar panel must also be made waterproof and structurally secure against pulling and other tension exerted on the electric cable. If the junction at the terminal is not waterproof the water may short out the solar panel and cause corrosion to proceed into the solar panel. It has been proposed to position the junction box beneath the solar panel to provide protection from the elements but this arrangement makes it impossible to mount the panel flat and flush against a boat surface.
What is needed is a solar panel that can be used in a marine environment and which can be substantially flat, flush mounted on a suitable surface. More particularly, what is needed is a low profile junction box that is used to connect an electric cable to a solar panel to form a durable and waterproof connection between the electric cable and the solar panel.